Land-use plans win last lap of race

The

return of 120ha of land

, occupied by the Singapore Turf Club (STC) since 1999, to the Government by March 2027 marks the end of more than 180 years of horse racing in Singapore. Local racing operations at Kranji will cease in 2024, with the last event scheduled for Oct 5, coinciding with the 100th Grand Singapore Gold Cup. Racing enthusiasts naturally bemoan the passing of an era in which the club, founded under a different name in 1842, saw the inaugural Singapore Cup race being held in 1843 and the first run of the Singapore Derby in 1880. The Bukit Timah Racecourse, built in 1933, would come to be regarded as the finest in the East. Local turf history was made in 1981 when two Australians became the first women granted permits to ride. In between and after such milestones, the club has served as a place not only for punters to come together to witness the drama of money to be made (or lost) from the competitive display of equestrian skills, but also as a companionable arena in which to socialise with the fellow-minded.

Sadly, horse racing has witnessed dwindling spectatorship over the years. Now, the last race is about to be run. Yet, the greater reason for the STC’s closure lies in the compulsions of land-use planning in Singapore. The Government is obliged to review its land-use plans continually to meet today’s needs, while ensuring that there is sufficient land for future generations. The redevelopment of the Singapore Racecourse site would allow for the land and its surroundings to be transformed to meet future land-use needs better. Building housing at the site would support the development of Woodlands Regional Centre as Singapore’s largest northern economic hub. Other major plans include redeveloping the Woodlands Checkpoint, enhancing Woodlands Town, and turning Lim Chu Kang into a high-tech agri-food cluster. Yet other potential uses include leisure and recreation.